Comments

I stopped by a Subie dealer today looking for '07 brochures, and while there I said it's too bad dealers won't let customers test drive STIs, and the salesman said: "You want to test drive one? No problem." I was shocked!

Okay, it was basically a "teaser test drive" in that it only lasted maybe 3 or so miles, but even so, here are some very quick impressions:

&#149; It's very similar to my WRX, but more intense.

&#149; It's very easy to drive, and not a hard to control beast.

&#149; I wasn't blown away with the power, as I was just getting the feel of the car, and really couldn't exploit it&#151;and being a new car I wouldn't want to do that anyway. Oh, it's fast, don't let me mislead you here, but I just didn't find it that much quicker than my WRX. I'm sure with more time, and with a broken in model, I'd probably come away more impressed.

&#149; I liked the close-ratio 6-speed a lot. I wish my car had that. I spent most of the time getting familiar with shift points&#151;geez I wish I had more time to spend with it, as 3 miles is waaay too short a time...

&#149; It doesn't have a gear indicator in the tach, and I wish it did. With 6-speed close-ratio trannys sometimes I forget which gear I'm in. Heck, that even happens sometimes with my 5-speed WRX. The Acura TSX 6-speed has a gear indicator, and I appreciated having that featue when I drove it.

I drove several sti's the past 2 years and liked them but am waiting for the 08 model. No matter what changes they made to wrx/sti the past few years, it is still a platform that goes back to 1993!If suby is going to stay competitive and take more market- share, it has to improve and update to stay competitive with the big guys. Otherwise, it will stay on the fringe. We bought an 01 Outback and it was a terribly built car. Also, the dealerships were not up to quality standards as toyota and honda in regards to warrany work. And, they need to make it bigger inside cockpit for taller Americans. We almost bought an 07 Legacy wagon, however it had WAY less room in front than our 03 Murano. However, quality of that Legacy was much better than our 01.Darrell.

Can someone give me some feedback on the reliability/durability of the base model Impreza 2.5i? I am looking at a 2007 model, wagon, brand new for quoted price of $16,100. Is that a good deal? I know they are AWD, but they are kinda small so how are they in the snow?

The AWD, plus the low, balanced, center of gravity with reasonable ride height, makes the Subaru very competent in the snow, with appropriate tires of course. Why would the small size be a concern as far as aptitude for snow?

I've owned small cars in the past that were decent in the snow, but we get some pretty heavy storms here (I'm in MA). My concern about the Impreza is not the ability to maintain traction, but more the ground clearance and light weight. Maybe I'm just hung up the Impreza being a competitor in the Honda Civic class.

I can understand your concerns about ground clearance in the snow, but, I don't understand your concern about light weight. Light weight should be a benefit. If your really concerned about using an Impreza in the snow, perhaps your best bet would be an Outback. Good luck!

Thanks Juice. Yeah, pretty much everyone I have talked to says they are very durable/reliable. Here in NE especially, they have a very loyal following. Myself, I have always admired Subarus but have never owned one. I'm psyched, this is a cool little car and I'm sure it will bring me into the "family" for good. My wife is even talking about a Legacy OB Wagon for herself in the future.

imprezas are very reliable. Handling (including driving in snow) is excellent. Most of the time, I have either 1 or 2 people in the car, so I view the impreza as a "micro SUV"

I paid 17700 for an i hatchback (manual) last July, so your quote (subject to what else is included) sounds pretty good. If you are concerned about size, then think about a Forester, RAV4, CR-V, or a Tucson. But with the similiar options (AWD, etc) the pricetag is now $21 - $22.

THanks NY. I have had my 07' Impreza 2.5i wagon for 3 weeks now and I love it. What a great little car. It was an absolute bargain for the money (I paid $16,499) and the dealership I worked with was top notch. So far on my first two tanks of gas, I am averaging 26mpg which is very respectable for a 173hp and AWD (manual gearbox). And going through the snow has been confidence-inspiring. It makes for a really nice foul weather friend while my S2000 is sleeping.